


All Fall Down

by MorrPhyc



Series: Destiny 'verse [1]
Category: Smallville
Genre: First Time; Futurefic; Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-13
Updated: 2009-12-13
Packaged: 2017-10-04 09:32:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorrPhyc/pseuds/MorrPhyc
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Can Clark change his and Lex's destiny?</p>
            </blockquote>





	All Fall Down

_Superman drew in a pained breath.  He could feel the Kryptonite bleeding into him; each movement digging the multiple bits of tainted metal into his body.  With his strength waning, he knew he had to make a choice and his heart screamed at him to try again.  One arm tightened around his enemy's throat, while the other pulled tight across the slim waist, drawing the gasping man back into his chest.  "Don't do this, Lex.  Don't make me do this!"  He was desperate, begging, no longer able to stop the tears that threatened to blind him. _

_Lex struggled in his grasp, not trying to get away, but to shift his weight off of his injured leg.  He kept his grip on the weapon he'd modified, the weapon that would finally bring about the end of this bitter hatred.   "Poor Clark," he snarled, "so put upon.  Ever since you were fifteen fucking years old you've done everything to bring about this moment."  The arm around Lex's throat stiffened briefly, but Lex still managed to say angrily, "Well, reap your reward, Superman."  His voice dropped becoming deadly quiet.  "End it.  This is the inevitable conclusion."  _

_When Superman said nothing, Lex snorted, disgusted.  "The inequality.  I trusted you once, with everything I was and all you did was betray me.  So, finish this or I will kill you."  Sweat trickled down Lex's forehead and he braced against the body behind him.  Dark hair fell across his throat and a weight dropped onto his shoulder, hot tears burned his skin._

_The restraining hold shifted to a confining embrace.  Clark hated for this moment to end, this brief respite, this moment's touch.  It was all too much.  "Why, Lex?"  This pain ran deep, almost too deep to vocalize._

_Lex let his head drop back, his body suddenly slack in Clark's arms.  "Inevitability, Clark.  'We are all tattooed in our cradles with the beliefs of our tribe; the record may seem superficial, but it is indelible'.  Or as everyone always reminded me, I am my father's son."  Bitterness filled every word._

_Lex triggered his weapon and Clark felt the hot metal sliver slice into his thigh.  There were no more choices, no more words and with one sharp twist, he snapped Lex's neck._

"No!"  Clark shot up in his bed, his heart racing.   He ran a shaky hand over his face.  "This has to stop," he whispered.  "I can't take it anymore, I just can't."  He dropped his head as the alarm clock shrilled.

~~~~~~~~~~

"You look like hell, Smallville."

Clark looked up from his laptop to find his partner perched on the edge of his desk, her Manolo heels tapping an irritating staccato on the metal desk frame.  "Leave me alone, Lois.  I haven't been sleeping very well lately."

He turned away to avoid her penetrating stare.  "If it was anyone but you, Clark," Lois said, "I'd ask if the sex was really that good." 

He shot her a dark look only to receive a quirked eyebrow in return.  He sighed.  "Go.  Away."

She laughed and settled more comfortably on his desk.  "Come on, Clark.  You've been out of it for weeks now.  What's the scoop?"

He shook his head and opened his mouth only to shut it again, rubbing his hands on his chinos.

"Hey," she said softly as she touched his shoulder.  "Talk to me, Clark.  Tell me how I can help."

Clark shrugged.  "It's nothing, just – bad dreams is all."

He could feel Lois staring at him but he couldn't face her.  Couldn't lie to her today; he just wasn't up to it.  She leaned over and kissed his cheek softly.  "I'm here if you want to talk about it, okay?"

Clark let out a relieved breath, nodding absently as Lois hopped off his desk and walked over to her own.  "So, Kent, you going to the family farm for Christmas?  Spending time with the cows and all?"

At times like this, he really loved Lois.  "Yeah, as always.  All the way through New Year's.  Pete called.  He and Lana are coming back from London sooner than expected and will be in Smallville at his folk's place." 

Lois kicked her feet up on her desk.  "I really need to ask him if he'll let me do a human interest piece on him."  She held her hands up to emphasize her words, seeing the headline.  "Small town boy grows to international jet-setting lawyer.  Marries the girl next door and has the requisite 2.3 kids."

Clark snorted.  "Um, Lana's in her first trimester.  I think that makes it 2.1 kids."

Lois rolled her eyes at him.  "Must you be so pedantic?"  She waved off her own question.  "Nevermind, I've read your writing."

"Oh, you'll pay for that one, Lois," he warned.  "Be nice or I'll tell Mom to insist that you come over for Christmas."

She looked at him in horror.  "Clark!  That's just – well, something I would do," Lois finished proudly, then smirked.  "Christmas with the cows.  God, I love your mom and dad, Clark, but if I don't attend one party a night for the next two weeks I won't be able to hold my head up in public."

Clark gave her a knowing look.  "Uh huh.  You just hate being mothered."

Lois picked distractedly at a chipped nail.  "It's just so – so domestic."  She shuddered.  "You can tell me all about it," she added primly.

He shook his head, turning his attention back to his computer screen.  "I've got to finish this article on commercial re-zoning as well as editing the Demarie interview and the Bennett tax proposal.  Perry's gonna make me pay for my two weeks vacation in blood."

Lois nodded, already clacking away on her keyboard.  "I was wondering how you managed that."  She paused her typing.  "The re-zoning thing, huh?  Did you get to interview Satan or just one of his minor demons?"

Clark shrank back at the venom in her voice.  "He's not-" he broke off, not in a mood to defend Lex Luthor when as Superman he spend a majority of his time in a bitterly adversarial relationship with Lex.  He shuddered, the dream still fresh in his mind.

"Look, I know you were friends with him once upon a time in the land of corn, but that was a long time ago.  You've been in Metropolis for 10 years and you said the last time you saw him was when he came to your graduation, and," she added persuasively, "before that it had been 3 years."  Frustrated, she asked, "Why the hell do you defend him, Clark?"

His lips compressed into a thin line, and he chewed the inside of his cheek steadfastly refusing to do this.  Lex hadn't, as far as they could ascertain, done anything really illegal.  He did however, bend the law up to the breaking point and his morals and ethics were practically nil.  But so far, he'd never seen the inside of a jail cell or prosecution despite three indictments. 

He was everything Clark wasn't and everything he worked to expose, yet for some reason, Clark refrained from attacking Lex in print and did his best to force Lois to keep only to the facts.  How could he explain it when he didn't understand it himself?   So he didn't try.  "No.  I didn't interview Lex.  I spoke with someone from Legal and Sammie, in PR."  He knew she was about to start again, so he added: "I really have to finish these if I want to leave tomorrow, Lois."  He kept his eyes on his monitor and it was several minutes before he heard the clicking of her fingers on the keyboard.  She didn't interrupt him for the rest of the day.

~~~~~~~~~~~

He tossed in his bed, sheets twisting around his restless form. 

_"Why, Lex?"_

_He could feel the softness of skin against his neck as Lex leaned back into him.  He looked so tired, so very tired.   "I am my father's son."  _

_No! he wanted to scream, no, you're not Lionel, you're not.  Lex was pulling his weapon up and Clark knew he had to get it away from him.  If he didn't get it away from him, he'd have to stop him, permanently.  Lex twisted in his grasp and Clark looked into his eyes and saw his own bitter regret reflected in the crystal blue depths.  His breath caught.  _

_Lex strained against the arm across his throat.  "Nothing can prevent this now, Clark," he rasped.  "This is what you wanted, what you sowed.  So reap it." _

_Lex triggered his weapon and Clark felt the hot metal sliver slice into his thigh.  There were no more choices, no more words and with one sharp twist, he snapped Lex's neck._

Clark shot up in his bed, shivering.  After a few minutes, he calmed and checked the clock.  Only 5 a.m.   He picked at the flannel sheet before swinging his leg over the side.  "No reason not to leave now," he murmured as he got out of bed and made his way to the bathroom.

~~~~~~~~~

Clark shook off the snow and stamped his boots on the porch.  Before he could pull open the screen door, his mother was there, pulling him into a tight hug.  "Welcome home, baby."

He smiled and hugged her back tightly, lifting her off the porch and walking inside before setting her on her feet again.  "I was here last week, Mom," he complained, not minding at all, letting her take his coat and scarf to shake out and set on the coat rack.

"Yes, dear, I know," she said patting his cheek.  "Come have some cocoa and tell me what's wrong."

He rolled his eyes, reluctantly following his mother into the kitchen.  Before he could refute her comment, the kitchen door opened with a blast of cold air and his father walked in rubbing his hands together.  Warm eyes regarded him.  "Good to have you home, son."  He held out his arms and Clark walked into the tight, brief hug.  His father pulled back, gripping his arms, studying him.  "What's wrong?"

Clark pulled away, looking back and forth between his parents wondering if Lois was behind this.  "What makes you think something's wrong?  Not that there is, something wrong, I mean," he added, hurriedly.

His parents traded a knowing look and Jonathan nodded while Martha grabbed three mugs and walked to the stove.  Jonathan pulled out a chair.  "Sit down, Clark.  Your mom made cocoa, just the way you like it." 

Defeated, Clark took a seat opposite his dad.  "I just haven't been sleeping well.  And, really, why did you ask?  Did Lois call?"

Martha joined them, passing out the steaming mugs of chocolaty warmth.  "No, Clark.  But, well," she paused, looking to her husband before continuing.  "Two weeks.  Not that we aren't thrilled to have you home, but you've always said Superman was needed no matter how often we've asked you to take time for yourself."

Clark shrugged.  "The League can handle things for a couple of weeks.  Besides, it's Christmas, and how often can I spend time with the two of you and see Pete?"  
Clark took a sip of his cocoa and felt the warmth of it fill so many of his cold places.  He fiddled with the mug not sure what to say, how to reassure them.  He was still contemplating when his dad's gruff voice broke into his thoughts.  "Does this have anything to do with Luthor?"

Clark's head shot up and he gripped the mug so tightly it cracked, warm liquid spilling over his hand and onto the table.  "God, I'm sorry, Mom."  Guilt flooded him and he grabbed a dishcloth, frantically cleaning up the mess.  He only stopped when a small gentle hand pulled his larger one away. 

"Clark, honey, it's okay."  She wrapped her arms around him, holding close.  "It's okay."  He couldn't stop shaking as she led him into the living room and settled him on the couch, nestling his head on her shoulder.

He felt the couch dip to the other side of him and a large hand start rubbing his shoulder.  Tears he'd kept in check for so long leaked from his eyes.  "I can't do it anymore," he whispered brokenly.  "I can't kill him again, please don't make me have to kill him again."

Martha and Jonathan exchanged shocked looks and held their son tighter, letting him cry himself out.

~~~~~~~~~~

He woke up curled on the sofa, buried under two of his mom's biggest afghans, feeling drained but calm.  However, he almost jumped when a voice shot out of the darkness.

"You finally awake there, Clark?"

He propped up on an elbow and grinned at the familiar and well missed voice.   "Pete!  When did you get here?" he asked as he leaned over to the click on the table lamp.

Pete was relaxing in the chair opposite the couch, his feet kicked up on the coffee table.  "Not long."  He tilted his head up toward the stairs.  "Ma and Pa Kent told me I should stay."  Concern colored his handsome dark features.  "They asked me to stay the night, that I shouldn't drive back so late in all the snow."  He dropped his feet and leaned forward, watching Clark pick at the corner of the afghan.  "Now, I'm not all that slow on the uptake, so I called Lana and told her I'd crash here tonight so you and I could do some catching up."  He gave Clark a hard stare.  "You care to tell me what's got your parents so worried and jittery?  And what it has to do with Lex?"

Clark shrank back at the mention of the name and Pete smiled knowingly.  "Yeah, I thought so.  They gave me the twenty questions routine.  More than one had Lex Luthor's name in it."  He snorted.  "Why do they want me thinking about Lex, Clark?  That is such bad karma, man."

Clark barked out a laugh.  "You've no idea, Pete," he said hoarsely.  "No idea."  He shook his head.  "It is so good to see you."  He sat up, letting the afghan fall.  "How's Lana and the kids?  How's it feel to be back in the States?"

Pete shrugged.  "Lana and the kids are fine.  The States are home.  No sidetracking me, Kent.  What's going on with you?"

Clark ran a hand through his disheveled hair and gazed out the window at the falling snow, his eyes bleak.  "I keep killing him, over and over and over.  Every night, it's the same thing."  His brows drew together.  "Only not," he added remembering slight variations. 

His friend regarded him seriously.  "Killing him?  You?"  He tilted his head.  "I assume you don't mean literally.  And since this seems to really be messing with your head, I'll refrain from the joy of that thought.  We are talking about Lex, right?"

He nodded.

"Is this some Superman deal?  Something that happened to you?  I know you and Luthor get into it a lot."

Clark shook his head.  "Dreams."  He shuddered.  "They're so real, Pete."  Hands clenched.  "I don't understand.  A month, every night for a month I've had these horrible, painful dreams, where I kill him." 

Pete whistled.  "That's a lot of dead Lex.  And in a perfect world one of them would be more than just a dream."  His brows drew together.  "A month?  Why didn't you say anything about this before?"

Clark shot him a dark look.  "Maybe because of reactions like that.  And yeah, yeah, I know, mortal enemy and all that but," he paused, not sure how to continue.

"But what, Clark?  That son of a bitch has tried to kill you.  I'm wondering why the hell you only dream of killing the prick."

He shot off the couch, unexpectedly furious.  "Could you kill Lana, Pete?"

"What the fuck kind of question is that?"  Clark could hear the rage behind the quiet words.

Clark couldn't face him, so he moved to the window and watched the snowflakes drift through the dark night sky.  "This is what you sowed, so reap it," he intoned softly before adding in a conversational tone:  "When we were kids, it wasn't just the things we did that made us who we are now, but more importantly it was the things that were done to us.  The way others treated us, reacted to us.  That's how we learned to be what we are."  He touched a hand to the cold glass.  "Everyone told me not to trust him, that he was evil, too much his father's son, that he would find out my secrets and destroy me."

"Um, Clark, all that's pretty much come true.  Except the destroying you part," and Pete added significantly, "but that's not for lack of trying."  He sighed.  "You want to tell me where this is heading?"

Clark let his head rest on the cool glass.  "I helped make him my enemy."  He turned spreading his hands in a wide gesture.  "We all made him that way."

Pete shook his head. "Clark –"

"No, Pete," Clark interrupted, appearing suddenly in front of Pete and sinking to the floor.  "I can't do it.  I can't kill him."  He looked up pleadingly.  "I love him.  Oh God, I always have and it's tearing me apart, Pete."

The shock hit Pete full force and he sank back in his chair.  His mouth twisted with disgust.  "You love him?"

Clark looked away, even emptier now that he'd acknowledged it for the first time.  He wiped angrily at his stinging eyes.  "You must be tired.  You can take my room.  I'll crash on the couch."

Pete pushed out of the chair and sat next to him on the floor.  "Hey, don't think you can get rid of me that easy."  He bumped Clark's shoulder.  "It just came at me from out of left field.  I didn't even know you liked guys and you're telling me you love a guy that's making your life hell.  Give me a minute to catch up here."

Clark laughed hollowly.  "Don't you get it, Pete?  He knows!  He's known Superman and Clark Kent were the same person for years.  He has the ultimate power over me.  If he's such an evil bastard, why hasn't he used that?"  He looked into his friend's troubled eyes.  "All I had to do was trust him, Pete.  And he'd have moved heaven and earth to keep me safe.  I know it.  Why couldn't I trust in what I knew?  Why did I let everyone else destroy a friendship that meant so much to me?"

"No matter what you think, the Luthors were a danger to you."  Pete shook his head.  "I know you don't like hearing it, but his asshole father did have a lot to do with it.  Lionel Luthor sure as hell couldn't be trusted and back then, his goal in life seemed to be to destroy Lex and anyone else who happened to get in the way."  He gripped Clark's forearm.  "That was you, man," he said urgently.  "It was the right choice."

"No, it wasn't, Pete." 

Pete sighed.  "Okay.  We'll agree to disagree on that.  And I'll give you that it's uncharacteristic of him not to press an advantage.  And knowing about you is definitely one.  But trying to take Superman out of the game also means he's trying to take Clark Kent out of the game and he knows that."

"Reap what you sow," he repeated absently, "reap what you sow."   He shook his head frustrated, it was there, what the dream was telling him, just on the cusp of understanding, but Clark couldn't reach it.

Pete looked at him, puzzled.  "And that means what exactly?  That he has the right to kill you because you didn't trust him back in the day?"

Clark turned wide shocked eyes to his longtime friend.  "In the dream, he said that.  But he wasn't – I mean, yeah, he had a gun that shot out these really painful Krytpo metal shards and he had, shot it that is."  He focused inward, remembering.  "But right before he said that, I had him restrained against my chest and he was struggling but," Clark's eyes widened as he saw it, "he stopped.  I asked him why and he said something, a quote or something like that, about his tribe and being stamped with," he stopped in frustration, not remembering the words.  "Anyway, the gist of it was that he became what everyone expected him to become."  His heart lurched and he felt nauseous.  "Not me, Pete.  Him."  His eyes filled with horror.  "He wants me to kill him.  He wants me to change his destiny."

Pete stilled.  "That's quite a leap to take from nothing more than dreams, Clark."

He shrugged.  "I know.  But think about it, Pete," he rushed out, "he has the means to destroy me.  He knows my greatest weakness and he's never used it.  And although he's had the means and the ability he's never used lethal force or used people I care about or gone after Clark Kent.  Only Superman."  His long fingers tapped nervously on his thigh.  "He's pushing Superman harder and harder but he steadfastly refuses to draw the attention of the full Justice League.  He keeps it personal."  Demented butterflies fluttered about in his stomach and chest, lodging in his throat.  He swallowed hard around them.  "I've hurt him, Pete.  God, I've hurt him so much."

"Are you listening to yourself?"  Pete shook his head in disbelief.  "All the shit he's pulled and you think it's been an elaborate – what?  Suicide?  Damn poor plan.  The man must own a small arsenal.  Surely, he has a gun somewhere that he can use to off himself with."

Clark's eyes closed tight against the image.  "No!"  He slapped his hands on his thighs.  "Don't you get it, Pete?  Destiny.  It's all about changing destiny.  Only this is Lex and he can't see any other way than a frontal attack."  He covered his face with his hands.  "Pete, what have I done?"

Pete roughly pulled his hands down.  "Stop it.  This is insane."

Clark pulled away.  "No, it's not.  I have to talk to him.  He won't hurt me, I know it."

"He already has, man.  Don't let him keep doing it." 

His knees drew up to his chest.  "I did it first, Pete.  He's reacting the only way he knows how.  War is all Lex has ever been taught."

Pete was incredulous.  "You're trying to tell me the past eight years have been a, what, temper tantrum?"  He scrubbed his eyes with the heel of his hand.  "You're as whacked as Luthor, you know that?"

Clark laughed, dropping his head to his knees.  "Yeah, I am.  That's what's been wrong – with him, me – I fall down, so does he.  We're supposed to be each other's balance."  Earnestly, pleadingly.  "I need him, nothing's been right without him.  Nothing."  He tapped his chest.  "In here, its wrong."

Pete stared at him long and hard.  "Nothing I say is going to change your mind about this, is it?"

Clark shook his head slowly.

Pete raised his hands in defeat.  "So go.  Talk to him."  He stood slowly, looking down at Clark uncertainly.  "Nothing you've said makes any damn sense.  But there are two indisputable facts.  One: he hasn't killed you or exposed you and that says something.  Two:  he's here."

All the breath went out of Clark.  "What?"

"Your parents, my parents, hell the whole damn town has been talking about it.  He arrived yesterday with only a housekeeper."  He waved a hand.  "Yeah, back at the castle for the first time since he left Smallville."  Pete yawned.  "That's more than just coincidence."

Clark said nothing, sitting still as stone.  Lex was here.

"I'm going up to your room and crash."  He turned toward the stairs but only took a few steps before Clark called out to him.

"Hey, Pete, thanks.  Thanks for being cool about all this."

Pete laughed.  "You aren't getting off that easy, Clark.  You have a hell of a lot to explain.  Starting with why you didn't trust me with something this important to you."

Clark could hear the hurt in those causal words.  "I was afraid you wouldn't understand."  He lifted his eyes.  "But it hurts to think you're not trusted, doesn't it?" he asked softly.

Pete bit his lip.  "Night, Clark."  He trudged up the stairs but stopped halfway up.  He didn't look back but spoke softly.  "I wouldn't be able to do it, Clark.  I couldn't kill Lana." He hurried the rest of the way up, leaving Clark sitting on the floor wondering if there was still a chance to tell destiny to fuck off.

~~~~~~~~~

The snow shone brightly on the stone steps, the air icy as Lex opened the door, much to Clark's surprise.  But Lex didn't look surprised, only aggravated.  "Clark," he drawled, "what an unexpected annoyance this is."

Clark suddenly felt 15 years old again, wanting his friend to spend time with him.  "Yeah, well," he cleared his throat, trying to figure out what the hell he was doing here talking to someone who tried to blow him up last month.

Lex's sigh interrupted his thoughts.  "Verbose as ever, Mr. Kent.  Good thing you aren't paid by the word at that rag of a paper you slave for."   Clark flushed but Lex continued.  "If you've made the statement you've come to make, by all means, fuck off." 

He began to swing the door closed but Clark thrust his hand out, stopping it.  "As a matter of fact, its not."  He swung the door open wide, grabbed Lex and pulled him close, ignoring Lex's struggles.  "I won't kill you, Lex, I can't."  He looked into stunned blue eyes.  "Please," he whispered, "don't keep doing this to us.  It doesn't have to be this way."

Lex's eyes closed and he stilled, his hands clenched against Clark's chest.  "Let.  Me.  Go."

Clark held him tighter letting his head fall against the smooth skin of Lex's bare head and neck.  "I can't, Lex.  I can't let you go.  I've tried for years."  He pressed his lips to the elegant neck, certain that he'd lost his mind, and felt Lex shiver in his arms.  "Tried, Lex, tried so hard.  Tried to hate you."  Pain in every word, every breath, he couldn't hold it in anymore.  "Just love you more and more and more." 

Lex snarled, twisting out of his grasp.  "How dare you?"  He stepped back, enraged.  "You know nothing of hate.  But I do.  I've lived it for years.  Years, Clark."

Regret flooded Clark and he found it hard to breath in the face of the anger radiating from Lex.  He took a calming breath.  "I know."  He turned and shut the door with a click, stopping the flow of icy air.  "I've thought about this.   And I know I screwed up.  But you didn't make it easy, Lex."

The older man snorted.  "Get out.  Your privileges here expired years ago."  He turned and started toward the stairs, totally dismissing Clark.

Only Clark wasn't having it.  He sped up the stairs stopping on the step right above Lex.  "Why are you here, Lex?  You hated this place.  And you never came back here after you left.  Never."

Lex pushed passed him, only to find Clark right in front of him again on the next step.  "God damn it!"  He ran a hand over his scalp and turned around, going back down the stairs.  And once again, Clark was in front of him.

"Why, Lex?"

"Get out of my way."  Lex pushed hard against him but Clark wasn't moving.  "I could ask the same of you, Clark," Lex snapped, taking measure of Clark.  "Why are you here?"

"It's Christmas, Lex.  I always visit."

Lex crossed his arms across his chest.  "For two weeks?"  He cocked an eyebrow.  "What will the masses do without you?"

"How did you know…?" Clark shook his head.  Lex always knew.  "Don't do this," Clark begged.  He ran a frustrated hand through his hair.  "How can I make you understand?" 

Lex smoothed the front of his immaculate gray sweater.  "You can't.  There is nothing I want from you but your permanent absence."

Clark touched his face gently and Lex flinched, backing away.  "You're here because I'm here.  You need me just like I need you."  He stepped closer, feeling the heat of that strong, beautiful body.  "You fight me because it's the only thing you know."

Lex shook his head, pulling away.  "You know nothing about me," he hissed, "nothing."

Another step and Lex was backed against the banister, his hands clutching the wood so tightly his knuckles were white.  "I thought I did, once," Clark said in a whisper.  "And I lost that."  Clark reached for one of Lex's hands, prying it off, holding it tenderly, feeling the tremors moving through the other man.  "I got confused but I'm not anymore."  He knew what he had to do and took a deep breath.  "I need to show you something.  And to do that, I need you to trust me, completely."

Lex's eyes narrowed and he tried to pull his hand away only to have Clark's grip tighten slightly.  "Trust?  What a novel and unprecedented word to hear from you."

Clark cocked his head to the side.  "Yeah, right up there with destiny but that one I'm becoming more familiar with every minute."

Lex drew in a sharp breath.  "Give me one valid reason as to why I shouldn't just kill you where you stand?"

The words stabbed him just as easily as Kryptonite.  "Because you love me, too." Half-knowing, half-hoping.

Lex started so badly, Clark caught him at the waist to keep him standing.  "Please, Lex."

Clark felt the stiff body in his arms relax slightly and he pulled him closer, taking Lex's weight, letting him have this, letting them both have this.  He could feel the heat of his breath on Lex's cheek.   "I should have trusted you.  And I've regretted that choice every damn day."  He ran a protective hand across the back of the bare skull.  "It wasn't because of you, Lex, I swear it wasn't," he said fiercely.  He pressed a kiss to the soft temple and almost cried with relief when he felt arms circle across his back, pulling him closer.

"I used to dream about this, rattling around in this mausoleum my father condemned me to.  But after, I didn't allow myself the luxury of it."  Lex pulled back far enough to search Clark's face.  "I had to have you in my life."  He brought a hesitant hand to Clark's strong jaw, the barest touch before pulling completely away and retreating down the stairs, leaving Clark to follow.  "It's over."  He shrugged and gestured towards the door.  "You can go.  No recriminations, no retaliations.  The war's over."

Clark's heart clenched at how lost Lex sounded and he was drawn into his space, having to touch.  "Lex."  His hands rubbed along narrow hips and he leaned down, letting his tongue flick over that tantalizing scar on Lex's upper lip.  Lex jolted, drawing in a sharp breath and that was all the invitation Clark needed.  His lips fastened on Lex's and his tongue slid inside the warm wet mouth. 

Lex's hands slid up his sides and clenched in his hair pulling closer still, igniting the kiss as he took control.  Licking into Clark's mouth, biting his lip, nipping at his tongue.  "Clark," he half-moaned, half-gasped, "I always knew you'd taste so damned good."

Each word sent a surge of desire through Clark's body and he pressed closer, running his hands down Lex's back.  "Lex, please."  He didn't know what he was asking for, just that he needed.

Lex understood and spun them, slamming Clark hard into the wall.  "God, Lex, yes."  His shirt was ripped open and a warm, wet mouth licked a trail across his chest, biting at already hard nipples, sending Clark into a frenzy.  Lex's hands were sliding down his belly and when those wonderful fingers reached lower, gripping him, stroking him through his slacks, his legs failed him and he slid down the wall, taking Lex with him.

Lex was panting.  "Floor is good," he rasped, licking at Clark's mouth as he slid a leg between Clark's thighs.  Lex kept stroking him faster and faster.  Clark was groaning, bucking his hips, clawing at whatever part of Lex he could reach.  Nothing had ever felt as good as this.  He rocked into Lex, wrapping his arms around him, his hands moving lower, touching, rubbing, worshipping that perfect ass. 

Lex shuddered and bit down hard on Clark nipple and that was it.  Clark screamed Lex's name, as a mind-blowing orgasm was ripped from him.  Strong arms pulled him close as his body shuddered through the aftershocks.  Small kisses on his jaw, cheek, neck, hands caressing his back, tangling in his hair and Lex's sexy voice whispering to him.  Clark nuzzled in, overwhelmed with emotion as Lex held him.

As the sexual haze lifted he pulled back and was face to face with a smirking Lex.  "You are full of surprises, Clark."  He ran a hand through Clark's hair.  "Beautiful," he whispered. 

Clark flushed and shifted against him and felt Lex's erection pressing into his hip.  His eyes widened in mortification.  Before he could say anything, Lex ran his fingers along his mouth.  "I'll keep.  But I intend for you to make it up to me, often," he added with an amused glint in his eye. 

Clark nodded.  "Can't wait." 

"Good."  Lex shifted them so they lay facing each other and laced his fingers through Clark's, absently stroking the back of Clark's hand, his eyes intent on Clark's.  "I do trust you," his voice hoarse as he spoke.  "Show me."

Clark swallowed hard, nodded and dropped a tender kiss to Lex's mouth before standing, and tossing his ripped shirt aside with a grin.  "Be right back."  And in a flash he was gone and back before Lex had finished standing.

"That, will take some getting used to," Lex said somewhat unnerved.

Clark rolled his eyes.  "You'll manage."  He walked over to Lex and took his hand and placed a long glittering crystal in it.  "There's something in the Antarctic I want you to see."

The End

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks: As always, to ladyra for the fabulous beta and searing comments. Talk about reaping what you sow. *VBG* You always make my stuff better than I knew it could be.


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